Moose Lake (Alberta)

Moose Lake
Sunset in Franchere Bay
Location	Bonnyville No. 87, Alberta
Coordinates	54°15′04″N 110°54′25″W / 54.25111°N 110.90694°WCoordinates: 54°15′04″N 110°54′25″W / 54.25111°N 110.90694°W
Type	eutrophic
Primary inflows	Thinlake River
Primary outflows	Mooselake River
Catchment area	755 km^2 (292 sq mi)
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	14 km (8.7 mi)
Max. width	4.4 km (2.7 mi)
Surface area	40.8 km^2 (15.8 sq mi)
Average depth	5.6 m (18 ft)[1]
Max. depth	19.8 m (65 ft)
Residence time	7.5 years
Surface elevation	530 m (1,740 ft)
Settlements	Bonnyville

Moose Lake is a relatively small lake in North-eastern Alberta, Canada, which drains north into the Beaver River (Canada). It is located just a few kilometres west of the town of Bonnyville. Despite dense green and blue-green algae blooms in summer, the lake is a popular recreational area for local residents.^[1]

Moose Lake in Alberta

It is unclear whether the name (translated from the French: Lac d'Orignal) was given because of the large moose population of the area or because the shape of the lake resembles a moose's head - Franchere Bay and Vezeau Bay being the antlers, Bonnyville Beach the chin, and Island Bay the nose (complete with a large island for a nostril).

Around 1768 William Pink passed the mouth of the Mooselake River. In 1789 Angus Shaw of the North West Company built a post on the northwest shore of the lake called Fort Lac L'Orignal or Shaw House. It was on the northwest side on a large point southeast of the lake's outlet. The river was so shallow that canoes were taken up the river empty and goods portaged overland. It was in good beaver country and within easy reach of Fort George 35 miles to the south on the North Saskatchewan. Buffalo pemmican was carried north to the lake and then via the Beaver River to Lac Île-à-la-Crosse to feed the voyageurs on their long journey to Lake Athabasca. In the 1792-93 season Moose Lake produced 64 of the 392 total packs of beaver produced by the Churchill River Department. In 1798 David Thompson (explorer) reached the lake from Fort George.

Geography

The major inflow is the Thinlake River, which enters the westernmost point of the lake in Franchere Bay, and the major outflow is the Mooselake River which exits the lake through the northern shore of Franchere Bay.^[1] Moose Lake Provincial Park straddles the point separating Franchere Bay and Vezeau Bay and its western edge is the Mooselake River.^[2] Most of the shoreline development is on the eastern shores of Vezeau Bay and Bonnyville Beach, comprising several unincorporated communities including Pelican Narrows. There are several Christian summer camps on Franchere Bay, including a Baptist, Pentecostal, and a Roman Catholic camp on the North shore and a Ukrainian Orthodox camp on the South shore.

Fishing

The lake supports some commercial fishing and recreational fishing is also popular. Sport fish in Moose Lake include Northern Pike, Lake Whitefish, Walleye, and Perch.

References

1. Atlas of Alberta Lakes. Moose Lake
2. Alberta Tourism. Moose Lake Provincial Park